Late afternoon winter light splashes across Shockoe Slip cobblestones in February of 1976. Shockoe Slip Plaza is surrounded by Italianate buildings in an area continuously used since the 1650s, this cobblestone plaza comprises two-tenths of an acre. Shockoe Slip earned its unusual name from the creek that once flowed through it. “Shacquohocan” was the Powhatan Indian word for the large, flat stones at the mouth of the creek, and “slip” refers to the narrow passage that provided access to the Kanawha Canal where boats loaded their cargo. After the canal fell into disuse in 1880, activity in the area slowly declined and changed to tobacco storage buildings, warehouses, and other industrial facilities. The industrial nature of the Slip shifted in 1970 as Richmonders transformed the deteriorating area into a vibrant, mixed-use district anchored by the plaza. What was once the early trading area in Richmond is now a fashionable shopping and dining district. The Slip’s restored warehouses and taverns house a unique assortment of apparel stores, galleries, restaurants, hotels and the national award-winning Martin Agency advertising firm.
Remember payphones? Those boxes with the word “TELEPHONE” sprawled out in white letters across the top that stood on nearly every corner? This photograph was made in January of 1978 in downtown Washington, DC. This was an important spot as it required four telephone booths to service that area's needs. I was always fascinated by old photographs that showed a world that didn't exist anymore, with things that were once common that time had left behind. As I started taking serious photographs in the early 1970's I tried to imagine what I could document then that might capture parts of life that might disappear. In 1960 the Bell System installed its millionth payphone. By the 1990s there were nearly three million pay phones in America. But now just a small fraction remain as the cell phone led to its demise. Maybe someday in the not-too-distant future, we'll see a historic plaque marking the location of the world's last pay phone - with a sign or holographic component we can read on our cell phone explaining exactly what a pay phone once was.
